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Category Archives: Gluten Free

These surprised me. I wanted to make a raw, vegan truffle that was also delicious, but I expected the little confections to actually look like truffles, and these turned out bright green. At first I thought I’d have to scrap the recipe and start over, but when they were finished, I adored their uniqueness, and everyone I shared them with enjoyed that too. Besides, they look like Hulk balls, and this is perfectly fitting because almost every ingredient in these balls is a superfood to make your body healthy and strong. Happy Health!

* My culinary posts are meant to be guidelines, not recipes. They are different from what you would usually find in a cookbook, because I think cooking should be inspired and new every time you do it. If you like heat, add a sh**load of cayenne or jalapenos to one of my recipes. If my guideline calls for cilantro but cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out. When I cook, I get a buzz from the thrill of creation. The same can happen to you.

Grind all ingrediets in a food processor (except the 1/4 cup of cacao nibs for rolling) until a doughish consistency is formed, then place food processor bowl in fridge for one hour. Roll into little balls and roll the balls in cacao powder. Feel amazing and strong like The Hulk!

A while back, a friend gave me a recipe for gluten free pizza that was also low carb. It was delicious. The problem? The entire thing was made out of cheese, including the crust. (I know, I know, that sounds more like a pro than a con, but it was quite heavy.) I wanted to find a way to lighten and healthy it up. This week I had a pizza craving, and I was about to whip up a pie, when I remembered the hummus I had just made. I wondered if I could substitute some of the cheese in the crust with hummus? Guess what, I could! It’s still delicious and afterwards I don’t feel like I ate a brick! Also, the chickpeas in the hummus are loaded with fiber for a healthy digestive system. Happy Health!

* My culinary posts are meant to be guidelines, not recipes. They are different from what you would usually find in a cookbook, because I think cooking should be inspired and new every time you do it. If you like heat, add a sh**load of cayenne or jalapenos to one of my recipes. If my guideline calls for cilantro but cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out. When I cook, I get a buzz from the thrill of creation. The same can happen to you.

Gluten Free Pizza

1 cup-ish homemade or store bought hummus (or you could use chickpeas ground to a paste with a little olive oil and water in a food processor or blender)

3/4 cup-ish shredded Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

several shakes of salt to taste

1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce

3/4 cup mozzarella or shredded cheese of your choice

toppings of your choice (I like sliced bell pepper and broccoli)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend first six ingredients in a food processor until well combined into a “dough.” Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray paper with olive oil. Spread dough evenly over paper. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until dough solidifies and becomes a very light brown. Cover dough with sauce, cheese and toppings and cook for another 10 minutes or until cheese becomes bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before eating. This is also great cold!

Salads rock. And soups rock. But both are better with croutons. Unfortunately croutons are nutritionally vacant, and loaded with fat and calories along with preservatives and hydrogenated oils. So here is a recipe guideline for healthy chickpea croutons you can make easily and quickly at home, and use to garnish your soups and salads with a healthy crunch! Chickpeas are high in soluble fiber, which is good for your digestive system, and also helps lower bad cholesterol. They are also a good source of protein. Woot!

* My culinary posts are meant to be guidelines, not recipes. They are different from what you would usually find in a cookbook, because I think cooking should be inspired and new every time you do it. If you like heat, add a sh**load of cayenne or jalapenos to one of my recipes. If my guideline calls for cilantro but cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out. When I cook I get a buzz from the thrill of creation. The same can happen to you.

Chickpea Croutons

1 can chickpeas, drained (or about 2 cups)

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp ish garlic powder

1/2 tsp ish onion powder

1/2 tsp paprika

dash salt

dash pepper

whatever other seasoning your little heart desires

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Place chickpeas on parchment paper on a cookie sheet greased with olive oil and bake at 300-325 for about an hour, or until chickpeas have dried and become airy and crunchy. Happy Health!

One Friday evening when I was in my early twenties, I traipsed into a bar after work with a friend to blow off some steam after a long week. (Ok, that part happened more than once.) This evening in particular, we were feeling peckish, and so we ordered a plate of mozzarella sticks. And then another. And then another. Um, and then another. (Ok, that part happened more than once too.) An older bar patron looked at us with envy and said “Enjoy being able to eat like that, in a few years you won’t be able to!” Wise, wise bar patron. I can no longer eat a solid pound of breaded, deep fried cheese (and really, I think this is probably a good thing) but I do still have a craving now and then for these cheesy sticks of yumminess…

There’s got to be a healthier way! So I attempted the perfect mozzarella stick with the following stipulations: Delicious, low carb, not deep-fried and I wanted to sneak in a vegetable.

Admittedly this is not the easiest recipe because the sticks don’t hold together well until they are at least partially cooked. BUT it’s worth the trouble if you want to scratch a mozz stick itch, as I sometimes do. Happy Health!

* My culinary posts are meant to be guidelines, not recipes. They are different from what you would usually find in a cookbook, because I think cooking should be inspired and new every time you do it. If you like heat, add a sh**load of cayenne or jalapenos to one of my recipes. If my guideline calls for cilantro but cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out. When I cook I get a buzz from the thrill of creation. The same can happen to you.

Cauliflower Cheese Sticks

1 cup shredded cheese (I used soy because I am not supposed to eat dairy, but any cheese you like that will get melty would be fine)

1 egg

1/2 cup-ish almond flour

2 tbsp grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, butter, or any oil that does well at higher temperatures (NOT olive oil!)

garlic powder to taste

onion powder to taste

salt to taste

To start you will need to make “cauliflower rice.” My recipe is posted here, but there are lots of variations all over the internet, use a different one if it suits you better. In this recipe it serves as a binder and a sneaky way to get an extra serving of veggies. Let it cool to room temperature and mix it with the egg, cheese, some salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and about 3 tbsp of the almond flour. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining almond flour with salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Roll the wet ingredients into little sticks (this part is difficult and messy, and you kind of have to hold each stick together in your palm.) Then roll to coat in the almond flour and spice mixture. When each stick is coated, add to pan and cook, turning frequently until golden brown on all sides. Let cool several minutes and enjoy with your favorite marinara sauce!

And good Lord, it was delicious, and healthier than the typical deep-fried hot mess version you’d typically get at a Japanese restaurant. As I mentioned here last week, my father gifted me with approximately 828 pounds of zucchini. Judging from my Facebook feed, this is not a unique “problem.” So after I made my fill of zucchini chips, I thought, what the heck else could I make with all this stuff? And came up with this. Happy Health!

* My culinary posts are meant to be guidelines, not recipes. They are different from what you would usually find in a cookbook, because I think cooking should be inspired and new every time you do it. If you like heat, add a sh**load of cayenne or jalapenos to one of my recipes. If my guideline calls for cilantro but cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out. When I cook I get a buzz from the thrill of creation. The same can happen to you.

Zucchini “Tempura”

however much zucchini you want to make into tempura (I used about 2 lbs), sliced 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick

eggs (ratio of two whites for every yolk)

coconut flour (I used about ¼ cup, maybe a smidge more) (Using coconut flour instead of wheat flour adds a nice layer of flavor and a hint of sweetness, and makes the recipe gluten free. It also boasts 6 grams of protein, 25% of your daily recommendation for iron and a whopping 13 grams of fiber!)

4-5 tbsp coconut oil

cayenne pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

salt to taste

Whisk eggs in a bowl. Mix all dry ingredients together in another bowl. Heat enough coconut oil to form a thin layer in the bottom of a pan over medium heat. Dip zucchini slices in eggs, then drag through flour mixture to lightly coat. Heat in covered pan for 2-4 minutes, flipping when golden brown. Remove from pan when both sides are done. Add coconut oil each time you add a batch of zucchini to the pan. I also added a drizzle of water if the pan got very dry as the zucchinis were cooking to keep from piling on too much oil. Serve hot and enjoy!